PART 4

Nikki sat on a rock, surrounded by Jack and a middle eastern man were standing in front of her, Kate was sitting next to her.

The man knelt in front of her, and stared her square in the eye. She shifted uncomfortably. "I'm going to ask you again. Who are you, what is your name."

Nikki lifted her head up, but didn't say anything.

The man stood up and walked over to Jack. "Ok, you talk to her, I'm through." He whispered.

"Just tell her your name, maybe she'll tell you hers." Jack whispered back.

Sayid grew more angry by the minute. "I have tried to talk to her for the last half an hour, and she has not said a single word. If you think she's one of them, maybe you should talk to her."

Nikki kept her head low as the two kept arguing.

"I guess they're really bad whisperer's." Kate said softly from beside her.

Nikki smiled a little bit. "Is that who they think I am?"

Kate turned her head in surprise.

"One of them?" She said silently, picking at the sand.

Kate, was caught speechless for a moment. "Why won't you tell them your name, or why you were in the Jungle instead of here?"

Nikki shrugged, "Because my story is stupid, they wouldn't believe me."

Kate sat in front of her. "You know Jack isn't bad. Neither is Sayid, they just want to help you..."

"Well maybe I don't need any help!" Nikki interrupted, angrily. She looked up to see Jack and Sayid stop arguing and stare at her.

Her expression changed from anger to fear. "Can I go?" she asked them, rubbing her arm shamefully.

Jack walked up to her, "Not until you tell us your name, where you're from, and why you were in the Jungle."

Nikki stared at him. "I'm not one of 'them', whoever they may be."

"Then why won't you tell us your name?" Sayid tried to step towards her, but Jack stopped him.

Nikki watched them both nervously, "Nikki." She quietly responded.

Jack nodded silently, then signaled her to go.

Sayid came up to him. "Why'd you let her go?"

"Because all we need is her name to find her on the manifest." He replied and walked away.

"Hey, don't go far, I suppose you know about the 'thing' in the jungle." Kate called after her.

Nikki looked back and nodded, then using the tree's for support she made her way to a quiet spot.

Nikki shivered in the heavy rain, she hadn't left her spot since the day before. The chinese guy offered her some weird food, and Jack came and checked on her leg, but neither of them said anything. Other than that people simply ignored her. She glanced over to see Vincent come and snuggle next to her.
"Hey there Vincent.", she gently stroked the dogs wet fur. "You know Walt's probably looking for you."
Walt came up behind her with a leash, "Thanks I am." He reached down to snap the leash. "Uh... My dad... said I can't talk to you." He said quietly.
"I guess I kinda understand." She replied quietly. "You should go before you dad see's you."
"He still thinks your one of 'them'." He said still lingering around.
"Do you think I'm one of 'them'?" She asked
Walt shook his head, "Uh uh. I think your one of us. You're too nice."
Nikki smiled at the comment. She was about to ask the long awaited question that sat in her mind; who 'they' were, but she saw Walt's dad on the horizon.
"Walt!" He barked, "What did I tell you?"
Walt turned around "Dad! I just came here to get Vincent!"
The man turned from Walt to Nikki, who backed up against the tree. "Stay away from my son." he said quietly as a lightning bolt struck through the sky.
Nikki watched them go confused and torn inside, the weather didn't help.
"Don't cry." She told thought to herself, "It's not worth it."
Nikki saw a figure walking quickly, she didn't pay much attention.
"Hey, you shouldn't be sitting out here in the rain." A soft female voice cut the silence.
Nikki jerked her head up, not expecting a visitor. "Umm, that's ok, I'm fine." she said glancing at Kate, who just barely wet.
"No, I mean it, you might get sick or something." Kate said worriedly and stretched out her hand.
Nikki subconciously took it.

Kate and Nikki quickly crawled underneath a tarp away from the rain.
"Here." Kate said and threw her something to dry off with.
Nikki smiled slightly, "Thanks."
The two sat in silence for a couple minutes, listening to the rain softly pound on the tarp.
"Who..." Nikki started, and bit her lip. She glanced at Kate who silently encouraged her on. "are 'them'?"
Nikki listened intensely while Kate explained the whole story and their run-in with Ethan.
"I...I'm sorry..." Nikki said quietly, "The only thing that came to my mind was that you guys split up because you were insanely mad at each other or something."
Kate laughed at that. "You really thought that?"
Nikki laughed to herself and nodded, then becoming serious she asked, "Do you think I'm one of them?"
She could see Kate tense up at the question and mentally slapped herself. "Of course she does!" she thought.
Kate opened her mouth to say something but Nikki interrupted. "Nevermind, I don't really care if you think I am or not. It stopped raining, I'm going to go back now."
Nikki crawled out of the tent and started hopping away when Kate called after her. "Are you?"
Nikki shook her head. She wondered if Kate believed her or not.
Kate walked up to her, "Than I don't think you are one of them." Kate smiled at her, and Nikki smiled back.
"Besides, how does someone who's been living on the island forever get braces." Kate teased her.
Nikki laughed back.
"Kate!" Jack's demanding voice called out behind her.
Jack was angry, and scared. Nikki noticed he had a gun in his right hand. Jack pulled Kate back with his left and held on to her arm.
"Jack what..."
"She lied." he said using his right hand to point at Nikki.
"What?" Kate started staring at Nikki.
"Her name isn't on the manifest." he said quietly.
Nikki's face went white, her thoughts racing, she subconciously tried to step backwards but fell over.
Jack ran over to her, and pointed the gun at her.
Nikki put her hands over her head. Kate's voice got shakier, more unsure. "Maybe Nikki is short for..."
"Who are you?" Jack demanded.
Nikki felt like her throat closed. "I...I'm...Nikki." She squeaked her chin quivered and hot tears started to come to her eyes.
Sayid rushed by and Jack ordered him to pick her up. She shakily stood, being held by Sayid tightly.
Nikki felt the blood rush out of her head,
"Stop lying" he demanded and stepped closer with the gun, Nikki shied trying to cover her face. She glanced at Kate helplessly.
"Is your name Nicole?" Jack asked.
The question took a second to register in her mind, she was watching the gun. "Uh..no." She answered quickly, not taking her eye off the gun.
"They why are you lying?" He yelled.
Nikki glanced behind him, the whole camp was watching. "I...I'm...I'm not..." Nikki felt a cooling sensation and dizzyness take over, distorted pictures of Jack, Kate, and a few others flashed in front of her, then everything went black.